On why Hikawa is awesome
May. 17th, 2009 01:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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dimmie was guessing who I'd like in Agito, she said that HIkawa was the Kagami, the regular guy who is a little faily, has no particular powers of awesome, but in the end is more heroic than those who do. And it's never been more clear that that is the case than in this episode (34).
"I'm a policeman. My job is to protect lives."
When Shouichi asks him why he fights the Unknown, Hikawa simply says that the fact that it protects lives is reason enough. And that's it right there, the core of who he is.
He now knows that Agito and Gils aren't supernatural beings, they're humans with special powers that make them ideally suited to fight the Unknown. He's not like that, he's just a regular guy. He's not suited to fight the Unknown... hell, the Unknown don't particularly want to fight him. Not only is fighting them something that he's not equipped to do, it's something that he could simply walk away from any time he wanted. Shouichi and Ryo don't have that luxury. In a way they're made to fight Unknown, it's not something they chose, and it's not something they can walk away from. Shouichi asked "can I stop being Agito?", and the thing is he can't. Even if he chose to stop going off to fight Unknown, the Unknown would come after him. He has no choice but to fight. It doesn't really make him any less, because he accepts his destiny instead of running from it, but the fact that he could doesn't have to and could stop does make HIkawa more.
Even beyond that, it's interesting that all this time Shouichi has been fighting Unknown with sort of the conviction that because this is what this power is meant to be used for, then it must mean that said power is enough. In other words, up to this point, I don't think Shouichi has ever believed he might not be strong enough to defeat any given Unknown. I mean... it's never actually been stated, but I think it's been made pretty clear by recent developments: he, and Ryoh, for that matter, have now encountered an Unknown that they don't think they can beat. For the first time, Shouichi's self-preservation instinct kicked in and he ran away from the Unknown. For the first time, he's questioning what he's doing, the reason for it. For the first time he's doubting (Ryoh's not doubting as much, in spite thinking he can't win, I think in part because he's already been through the whole doubting process). Anyway, again, this doesn't really make Shouichi less, because in spite of his self-doubt he's not trying to run... even if, like I said before, he really doesnt' have the option of running. But the possibility that his power might not be enough does give him pause.
And I can't help but compare that to HIkawa fighting that same unbeatable Unknown by himself. Sure, he doesn't know that Agito and Gils can't take this one... but does it matter? Hikawa has had his ass handed to him plenty of times by Unknown that were weaker. He doesn't have doubts that G3's power might not be enough, he knows that G3's power isn't always enough, and that at any time he might encounter a Unknown that he can't fight... it's a very subtle but also a very profound distinction between the possibility and the reality. Between these amazing special powers maybe not being enough, and the knowledge that you're a normal guy, in a man-made suit, and that something might go wrong at any moment, because it has before.
But with all that, with so much more reason to question the insanity of fighting these beings, Hikawa never ever falters. He just charges on, without a second thought, because policemen protect lives, and that is what he has chosen to do with his life. Because this is what he chooses, and this is what he wants.
dimmie was guessing who I'd like in Agito, she said that HIkawa was the Kagami, the regular guy who is a little faily, has no particular powers of awesome, but in the end is more heroic than those who do. And it's never been more clear that that is the case than in this episode (34)."I'm a policeman. My job is to protect lives."
When Shouichi asks him why he fights the Unknown, Hikawa simply says that the fact that it protects lives is reason enough. And that's it right there, the core of who he is.
He now knows that Agito and Gils aren't supernatural beings, they're humans with special powers that make them ideally suited to fight the Unknown. He's not like that, he's just a regular guy. He's not suited to fight the Unknown... hell, the Unknown don't particularly want to fight him. Not only is fighting them something that he's not equipped to do, it's something that he could simply walk away from any time he wanted. Shouichi and Ryo don't have that luxury. In a way they're made to fight Unknown, it's not something they chose, and it's not something they can walk away from. Shouichi asked "can I stop being Agito?", and the thing is he can't. Even if he chose to stop going off to fight Unknown, the Unknown would come after him. He has no choice but to fight. It doesn't really make him any less, because he accepts his destiny instead of running from it, but the fact that he could doesn't have to and could stop does make HIkawa more.
Even beyond that, it's interesting that all this time Shouichi has been fighting Unknown with sort of the conviction that because this is what this power is meant to be used for, then it must mean that said power is enough. In other words, up to this point, I don't think Shouichi has ever believed he might not be strong enough to defeat any given Unknown. I mean... it's never actually been stated, but I think it's been made pretty clear by recent developments: he, and Ryoh, for that matter, have now encountered an Unknown that they don't think they can beat. For the first time, Shouichi's self-preservation instinct kicked in and he ran away from the Unknown. For the first time, he's questioning what he's doing, the reason for it. For the first time he's doubting (Ryoh's not doubting as much, in spite thinking he can't win, I think in part because he's already been through the whole doubting process). Anyway, again, this doesn't really make Shouichi less, because in spite of his self-doubt he's not trying to run... even if, like I said before, he really doesnt' have the option of running. But the possibility that his power might not be enough does give him pause.
And I can't help but compare that to HIkawa fighting that same unbeatable Unknown by himself. Sure, he doesn't know that Agito and Gils can't take this one... but does it matter? Hikawa has had his ass handed to him plenty of times by Unknown that were weaker. He doesn't have doubts that G3's power might not be enough, he knows that G3's power isn't always enough, and that at any time he might encounter a Unknown that he can't fight... it's a very subtle but also a very profound distinction between the possibility and the reality. Between these amazing special powers maybe not being enough, and the knowledge that you're a normal guy, in a man-made suit, and that something might go wrong at any moment, because it has before.
But with all that, with so much more reason to question the insanity of fighting these beings, Hikawa never ever falters. He just charges on, without a second thought, because policemen protect lives, and that is what he has chosen to do with his life. Because this is what he chooses, and this is what he wants.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-25 03:44 am (UTC)tbh I actually read this already a couple times already. ¦D I just keep having a hard time coming up with what to say because mostly I wanna point and go YES! THAT!
Hikawa is the best character in the whole series to me because of all that. He's the ultimate ordinary guy with no special snowflake powers (even Kagami, for all that he was supposed to be the Hikawa, had the whole pre-destination to become Gattack The Lord Of Speed thing), who as a good cop just believes in doing the right thing. And the right thing to him is protecting humans, at any cost, even his own life if that's what it takes. But then he also has this extremely human side of being proud and stubborn, and being reluctant to give up G3-X, which gives him more depth than just the flawless, perfect heroic guy.
And maybe I just really love seeing such a well developed character in the role of a policeman because we get so jaded seeing movies and series about how the police is rotten, so when you get a Hikawa, an Ichijou, a Kagami, it's such a breath of fresh air. A policeman who still believes in his job and will do anything to protect people, who would've thought.
But with all that, with so much more reason to question the insanity of fighting these beings, Hikawa never ever falters. He just charges on, without a second thought, because policemen protect lives, and that is what he has chosen to do with his life
And thiiiiiiis, this is it. The whole time, from the first episode, Hikawa's always known he's way in over his head in this high ground battle that can't be won by common people. But his duty is to protect the common people, so not even for one second he questions whether he should or should not be involved in this fight. He just goes and fights, chances be damned, because that's what he's got to do.
That ties in with I said about eventually opening up to Hojo. Despite him being an asshole, deep down Hojo's motivation is the same as Hikawa's - he just chooses all the wrong ways to act on them, because he's supposed to be your real world jaded cop, the guy who's already lost that diamond in the rough quality the newbie still has, and bullies him because he both admires the newbie's blind faith in humanity and is jealous of what he knows he's lost along the way.
tbh there is not one character in Agito, aside from Kino, that I dislike. Even the assholes are so well written that I end up having to respect the character for what he is.
BUT I DIGRESS. This is a post about how Hikawa is awesome. So, in conclusion:
\:D/
no subject
Date: 2009-05-25 03:59 pm (UTC)I find HIkawa's pride and stubborness really interesting too, because he's really really self-effacing and is always making light of his own heroicness... but then certain things happen and let you that he does have that pride underneath it all that he robably squashes (sometimes) on purpose. But the thing is that he's not proud and stubborn for his own sake, for his own ego's sake, instead he's pride has more to do with the ability of being able to protect people and do good, you know?
And about Hojou... yeah. He's basically one of those guys that thinks that the fact that his motivation is in the right place (he does ultimately mean to protect humans) and that as a cop he's got the authority to take certain actions to ensure that protection mean that... he's got the right to use ANY method he deems necessary, and that he can step over anyone he needs to, for the sake of his ultimate goal. So he's understandable and he's a pretty good, complex character... but an asshole. :D
no subject
Date: 2009-08-25 01:49 am (UTC)I was rereading my HIkawa wibbling because
And maybe I just really love seeing such a well developed character in the role of a policeman because we get so jaded seeing movies and series about how the police is rotten, so when you get a Hikawa, an Ichijou, a Kagami, it's such a breath of fresh air.
And... yeah. Now that I've see Ichijou as well, totally, this. XD
(And remember how I said Hikawa and Ichijou have certain similarities, in my eyes, and you said you didn't see it? It's not so much personality-wise, so much as this aspect of them, the good honorable cops.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-25 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-25 04:19 am (UTC)